Refrigerator water-cooling coil



Patented June 5, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. WHITTIER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ELECTRIC REFRIGERATION CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A

CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

REFRIGERATOR WATER-COOLING COIL.

Application filed October 12, 1925. Serial No. 61,870.

This invention relates to refrigerators and is particularly concerned with a novel construction and mounting of a water cooling coil in the ice box of a refrigerator in which water may be cooled and from which it may be withdrawn for use. The construction and installation of the coil is such that it lies horizontally in the lower portion of the ice compartment of the refrigerator and direct' ly over an ice supporting rack, the ice being placed above the coil and resting in direct contact with and against the coil so that the water in the coil at all times is kept cold.

The rack at the bottom of the ice chamber must be cleaned at times. The ice many times is more or less contaminated with dirt, and vapors from food placed in the refrigerator circulating through the ice compartment condense on the ice and in time deposited on the coil and on the ice supporting rack below it.

With this invention the coil is mounted in a particularly simple and novel manner so i that it may be turned upwardly about a horizontal axis, this making it easy toreach and remove the rack for cleaning purposes; and when in such upper position the under side of the coil may be more readily reached for cleaning the same and putting it in sanitary condition.

It is a primary object and purpose of this invention to provide a water cooling coil and install it in the ice compartment of a refrigerator horizontally directly over the ice rack, in which position it occupies the least amount of space, and to so mount and install the coil that it may be readily, in fact, almost instantly turned to a position such that. the

ice rack can be removed for cleaning. The invention consists in many novel details of construction and arrangements of parts for effectively attaining this desired end as well as others pertaining to economy in structure and efficiency and durability'in installation and operation. 7

.For understanding the invention reference may be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through the upper portion of a refrigerator and through the ice holding chamber thereof showing my inventioninstalled therein.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a vertical section through the construction shown in Fig. 2, the section being taken on a plane parallel to the front of a refrigerator and directly back of the front side thereof.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The refrigerator which may be of any desired or conventional construction has an ice recelvmg chamber orcompartment 2 usually equipped with a front opening at which a door 3 is hingedly connected for opening and closing the entrance into the ice chamber. The bottom of the ice chamber is made by a horizontal partition 4 above which an ice holding rack 5 is placed, the same resting on the bottom lining of the ice chamber compartment, and being loose therein and easily removed.

So far as described the construction is old and well known. Many refrigerators are equipped with a water cooling means and one of such meansv is illustrated, particularly in F i \1, wherein a cup 6 is located -in the top 0 the refrigerator, it having an open end so that a relatively large water bottle 7 may be inverted and the neck of the bottle inserted into the open upper end of the cup; or as is shown in copending application for patent of Charles H. Leonard. filed Octoer 12, 1925, Serial No. 61,876. a direct connec' tion may be made from the water mairi to the outlet pipe 8 which leads downwardly from the bottom of the cup. In either case water is supplied which flows through the pipe 8 and then through a water coil to a faucet 9 located at the front of the refrigerator and which may be opened for the passage of a desired amount of water.

The coil as shown is connected by any suitable swivelling connection such as an elbow 10 at one end to the lower end of the pipe 8. One end of the coil includes a horizontal pipe section 11 which is extended from the elbow 10 for adistance and then turned substantially at right angles, as indicated at 12, and then formed into a plurality of nested circular coils indicated at 13, terminat ng in a terminal section 14 which passes directly under and lies in the same vertical plane with the section ll previously described, the end portion of the section 14 being bent upwardly so that its end and the end of section 11 also lie in the same horizontal plane, that is, the axes of the section 11 and the endof section 14 are in alignment. A second elbow 15 is connected to the end of section 14 and is turned downwardly, connecting with a short nipple 16 which in turn is connected to a third elbow 17 to which a pipe 18 is secured, which extends through the front of the refrigerator and joins with the fancet 9.

The coil as shown and described normally lies in av horizontal position directly over the ice rack 5. Ice may be placed in the ice chamber above the coil and the weight of the ice bearing on the coil presses it against the rack 5 which supports the weight. In the horizontal position of the coil the ice rack is held against removal from the ice chamber. But when it is desired to remove the ice rack, as must be done at times for the purpose of cleaning thesame, it is necessary to grasp the coil at one side and tilt the same upwardly about the horizontal axis of sections 11 and 1 1. of the coil where they join with the elbows 10 and 15. It is evident that the threaded connection of the ends of the coil with these elbows permits this movement so that the coil may be turned from a horizontal position above the ice rack to the inclined position best shown in 3 whereupon the ice rack may be readily removed for cleaning and the bottom of the lining of the ice compartment is accessible for cleaning. It is also apparent that the under sides of the coil when it is in the position shown in Fig. 3 are much more accessible for cleaning than when the coil is in horizontal position.

This construction, as is evident, while of simple form is one of value and it has so proved in practice. The coil in the bottom of the ice chamber lying horizontally restricts the ice receiving space of the ice com partment the least possible amount. Ice always being in contact with the coil there is an insurance that the water in the coil will always be cold. The movement of the coil l'rom horizontal to inclined position is very easy and instantly accomplished. The simplicity of construction and the inherent features of economy in manufacture and installation combined with durability in service render the invention one of great value. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered as comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination with a refrigerator having an ice chamber and a door opening, of fixed inlet and outlet conduits extending into said ice chamber, a water coil comprising a pipe coiled into a plurality of nested substantially circular coils disposed in a horizontal position and having terminal ends extending in opposite directions from each other, the ends of said coil having their axis in longitudinal alignment and at one side of the water coil, and swivel couplings between the terminal ends of said coil and the fixed inlet and outlet conduits, said water coil adapted to be turned about its axis to a vertical position atone side of the ice chamber and out of alignment with said door opening.

2. In combination with a refrigerator having an ice chamber and a door opening, of a cup projected through the top wall of said ice chamber and forming a seat for an inverted water bottle, a fixed water inlet communicating with the cup and extending vertically downwardly in said ice chamber, a fixed water outlet conduit extending horizontally through a side wall of said ice chamber and provided with a faucet exteriorly of the refrigerator, and a water coil comprising a pipe coiled into a plurality of nested substantialy circular coils disposed in a-horizontal position and having terminal ends extending in opposite directions from each other, and swivel couplings between the terminal ends of said coil and the fixed inlet and outlet conduits, said Water coit adapted to be turned about its axis to avertical position at one side of the ice chamber and out of alignment with said door open ing.

3. In combination with a refrigerator having an ice chamber provided with a door opening and an ice supporting rack in the lower portion thereof, of a fixed water inlet conduit extending into said ice chamber, a fixed water outlet conduit extending into said ice chamber, a water coil within said ice chamber, and swivel connections between said water coil and said water conduits, said connections being arranged at one side of said ice chamber to permit said coil to be moved into" a horizontal position directly over the ice rack or into a vertical position at one side of said ice rack out of alignment with said door openin In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARRY L. WHITTIER. 

